Klopp wants Christmas Eve Arsenal clash scrapped

Liverpool's coach from Germany Jurgen Klopp shouts from the touchline during the UEFA Champions League Group E football match between FC Spartak Moscow and Liverpool FC at the Otkrytie Arena stadium in Moscow on September 26, 2017. / AFP PHOTO .

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has called on television broadcasters to ditch their reported plan to move his club’s clash with Arsenal to Christmas Eve.

It has been suggested Sky chiefs are keen for Liverpool’s trip to the Emirates Stadium to be put back a day and have already made both clubs aware they want them to consider the prospect.

Klopp accepts the billions of pounds clubs are paid by the television company mean they can have few complaints when issues like this arise, but he does not believe scheduling the match for the day before Christmas would make it attractive to fans.

“I really cannot imagine that anyone wants to watch football on that night,” Klopp said on Friday.

“I really think it is no problem for people to be very concentrated on important nights on something other than football.

Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp watches his players warm up ahead of the English Premier League football match between Leicester City and Liverpool at King Power Stadium in Leicester, central England on September 23, 2017. / AFP PHOTO.

“If the supporters want to see a game on Christmas Eve then probably the television broadcaster will find a way to deliver it and obviously they’ve found a way already.

“I didn’t know before the date was possible but now I know it is possible.

“If we play on December 24 I am not sure we can fight against it. We are the last ones in this role who may have something to say about the decision.

“But Sky has then to make a decision if they really want to do this, if they really want to bring supporters onto the streets that night, if they really want to bring all the people who work for television away from home that night.

“For us it is not a normal time so if we don’t play 24th we’ll play the 25th or 26th. It is still Christmas for our families but not for us – we are used to it.”

Arsenal’s coach from France Arsene Wenger walks during the UEFA Europa League Group H football match between FC BATE Borisov and Arsenal FC in Borisov, outside Minsk, on September 28, 2017.His side has been slotted to play Liverpool on X-mas Eve.